Avatar Crossover?

[garhkal]

Very nice write up.. Any chance you are going to do the animals??
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Bobmalooga]

That's an idea, I may look into doing that...
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No matter where you go, there you are...

[Bobmalooga]

Ikran or Mountain Banshee
Type: aerial predator
DEXTERITY 2D
PERCEPTION 2D
Search: tracking 3D+2
STRENGTH 4D
Brawling 6D, climbing/jumping 6D, flight 6D+2

Special Abilities:
Bonding: The Mountain Banshee can be bonded to Na'Vi much like the Direhorse can, This can only happen once in the banshees life and once bonded the banshee in question will not bond to another if its rider is killed. As a result the Na'vi riders get an additional +1D to all Beast Riding and the Banshees get the same bonus for attack rolls while they are mounted.
Claws and Bite: Does STR+1D damage
Armor: Due to their unique bone and muscular structure the Mountain Banshee recieve +2 to all resistance rolls.
Wings: Enable the Banshees to fly
Enhanced Sight/Hearing: +2D to all tracking rolls based on echolocation, Banshee's have infrared vision and are capable of seeing at night as well.
Size: Up to 13.9 meter wingspan
Scale: Speeder (Due to their size and their ability to attack speeders...)

Move: 6 (ground) and 22 (Aerial speed).

Mountain banshees (Na'vi name: ikran) are large, bird-like aerial predators that are native to Pandora. They are used by the Na'vi for hunting from the air and traveling larger distances. Ikran are also used in battle, where the mount attacks its opponents from the air.

In Na'vi Culture
Bonding with a banshee and becoming an Ikran Makto is a dangerous and required rite of passage for Na'vi warriors in some clans, including the Omaticaya. Like the direhorse, a Na'vi can connect to a banshee through a neural interface that allows animal and rider to move with apparent effortlessness through the skies. Unlike the direhorse, however, the banshee will only bond with one Na'vi in its lifetime. It is unknown whether the banshee or its rider can bond with a new partner should the previous one die, as is the case with Neytiri's mount Seze having been killed during the Assault on the Tree of Souls.

In Na'vi culture, taming a banshee is a test every young hunter has to pass.

The mountain banshee rookery is high in the Hallelujah Mountains. The largest rookery, which features the largest specimens (and therefore the best to tame for riding), is in grottoes and outcrops on the sheer cliff faces of Mons Veritatis, one of the largest of the floating mountains. It is here that the Na'vi come to select (and be selected by) a banshee for domestication. The bonded mountain banshees nest in the highest branches of Hometree, where they can be close at hand for their Na'vi rider.

The mountain banshee (like its smaller cousin, the forest banshee) is highly adapted for flight. Specially developed muscles attached to the breastbone allow for the powerful strokes needed to achieve lift. Xenobiologists continue to study the aerodynamics of the banshee. It is believed that all of Pandora's flying animals take advantage of gravity that is lower than Earth's and the increased air density, (which requires more force to displace with the downward/rearward stroke of their wings, and thus gives the animal's body more impetus with each flap). The downside is that the denser air is harder to move through, and requires highly-efficient streamlining to achieve high flight speeds.

Biology
Though reptilian in appearance, the banshee has a metabolism that is bird-like, and generates tremendous heat. The banshee has a complex cooling system to keep it from overheating during strenuous flying. The breathing system is central to this cooling. The air inlets, or spiracles, face forward at the front of the chest cavity, like the engine intakes of a jet fighter. Induction of air is controlled by a cartilaginous operculum, or flap-valve. The banshee lung is a bellows like structure, inflated by rib movement, but unlike the lungs of terrestrial animals, it has unidirectional flow, venting aft through gill-like slits.

The banshee has two primary eyes which see in full color in roughly the same spectrum as human vision. Aft of the primary eyes are smaller secondary eyes, which can move independently or together with the primaries. They see in near infrared, for night hunting. Additionally, banshees are also highly sensitive to motion, and act as an early warning system against attack from the rear. All four eyes are protected by lids and by transparent nictating membranes, much like an eagle eye. Forward of the primary eyes are lines of sensor pits. These are thought to provide airflow information in flight, like a pitot tube on an airplane. Another hypothesis is that they are sensitive to sound, and have an echolocation role, by sensing the reflected sound of the banshee shrieks. It is advised to never look directly into an ikran's eyes, though it is not explained what happens if you do. Most likely, it induces panic or anger in the ikran.

Like many of Pandora's creatures, the banshee also has a remarkably strong cell structure. This structure, which is a biologically produced carbon-fiber, makes their bones much lighter and stronger than any organic Terran equivalent. This in turn allows them to generate more power and lift with every flap, power which is necessary in the dense atmosphere of Pandora. The biochemistry of their muscle tissue allows them to generate nearly twice the force per pound of muscle as terrestrial flying animals such as bats and birds. This, again, generates tremendous metabolic heat. The hollow bones are connected to the bellows-like lung, and cooling air moves through the long bones of the fore and aft wings.

They have only vestigial legs (unlike their cousin the great leonopteryx) which might suggest a life mainly in flight, only landing to feed their young. It also suggests that prey will be smaller airborne creatures or possibly creatures perched high in the trees as they could not grab on to something while in flight, as seen in Earth eagles.

The wings have a claw or finger that is used to cling on to cliffs and to "walk" on flat ground, possibly by dragging the body forward or more likely maintaining center gravity over the wings. All and all, they are not as agile on the ground as in the air.

Their leathery skin has a wide range of complex color schemes. Some banshees have been seen which display only two colors. Since the color concentration is mainly on the back of the animals, it is assumed that the colors are for mating display. Both male and females display these complex patterns of colors.
_________________
No matter where you go, there you are...

[Bobmalooga]

The Leonopteryx
Type: aerial predator
DEXTERITY 3D
PERCEPTION 3D
Search: tracking 4D+2
STRENGTH 5D
Brawling 7D, climbing/jumping 7D, flight 7D+2

Special Abilities:
Bonding: The leonopteryx can be bonded to Na'Vi much like the Direhorse can, This can only happen once in The leonopteryx life and once bonded the banshee in

question will not bond to another if its rider is killed. As a result the Na'vi riders get an additional +1D to all Beast Riding and The leonopteryx get the same bonus

for attack rolls while they are mounted.
Claws and Bite: Does STR+1D damage
Armor: Due to their unique bone and muscular structure The leonopteryx recieve +1D to all resistance rolls.
Wings: Enable The leonopteryx to fly
Enhanced Sight/Hearing: +2D to all tracking rolls based on echolocation and sight, The leonopteryx have infrared vision and are capable of seeing at night as well.
Size: Up to 25 meter wingspan
Scale: walker (Due to their size and their ability to attack banshees...)

Move: 6 (ground) and 22 (Aerial speed).

The leonopteryx is closely related to the banshee, with many similarities and differences. The leonopteryx is primarily colored red and yellow, with black stripes and blue crests on the top of the head and under its lower jaw, though the crests can be albinistic or green. The crest on its head is razor sharp and can be used to injure or disembowel prey, or cut vegetation obstructing flight. The leonopteryx also has a large brain cavity, flexible, membranous wings stretched taut over a carbon fiber bone structure, powerful talons for grasping prey and perching, twin tails for flight control, flow-through ventilation for high performance, and large hooked claws. The leonopteryx has powerful jaws which can open at a wide angle, capable of cleaving a mountain banshee in half. Despite their superior binocular vision, they are unable to see directly above them, most likely due to the very pronounced brow ridges above their eyes. Being the apex aerial predator of Pandora, this is not a problem for the leonopteryx, as it has no need to watch for attackers. However, this weakness is exploited by Jake Sully, who jumps from his banshee from above the unaware leonopteryx and tames it through tsaheylu.

Great leonopteryx
The wingspan of the leonopteryx is more than 25 meters (75–80 ft.). It can even exceed 30 meters. Its wings are composed of individual finned members that can separate to act as a slotted airfoil, or overlap and seal to form a solid surface. When separated, they can rotate individually to induce or retard vortex formation. These finned members are not unlike the primary feathers of many terran birds. The fiber composite bones help the animal to achieve flight through the dense Pandoran atmosphere, as with other flying animals of Pandora. Unlike its smaller cousins, the banshees, its legs are not vestigial and are a key part of its anatomy, as they are used for grabbing prey while diving or to provide a stronger kick while taking off. The leonopteryx has four large golden eyes with black pupils. Two of its main eyes are in the front of the skull, and the two others are located near the rectangular antenna bases. Due to its size, the leonopteryx would not be a dense jungle hunter like banshees, but would have very little trouble on the plains or near cliffs or mountains, where it could feed on mid-sized animals or banshees.

Habitat, Mating and Encounters
The leonopteryx are difficult to locate. This fact is exacerbated by the associated risk with trying to locate the resting place of such a massive, dangerous animal. However, some have been sighted in the Hallelujah Mountains. Members of the species mate for life and breed once every two years. Primarily, the great leonopteryx travels alone and occasionally in pairs. However, unlike the mountain banshee, they have never been observed in a swarm, or other high concentration.
Although leonopteryx are wary of encountering their own kind, it is documented that a team of avatars observed a battle between two leonopteryx in the space of 3 hours. The battle ended when both fell to the forest floor from their mortal wounds and were believed to have been dispatched by a large pack of viperwolves.

Toruk Makto
In the Na'vi culture, those who are successful in making tsaheylu with the great leonopteryx are given the title of Toruk Makto, which translates as "Rider of Last Shadow". Toruk Makto is, to the Na'vi, a mythical hero who leads the people to victory during times of great sorrow. As of this the time, no Na'vi had accomplished this for four generations and only five have managed that feat since the time of the First Songs.
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No matter where you go, there you are...

[The Brain]

Ah I can see the power point presentation for the grand moff already.

"Thank you for taking time to attend sir. Lights please."

Step 1: Deploy nerve agent.
Step 2: Begin mining operations.

"Is that all?"
"Well there was this idea for infiltration and manipulate, but it seems rather overcomplicated and pointless since we're supposed to be some heartless greedy corporation...er I mean empire sir."
"Quite. Very well your plan may proceed."

[ZzaphodD]

[CRMcNeill]

I agree. Direct crossovers are very difficult to do well simply because the underlying rules of the two universes vary. In this case, the Empire would have no problem nerve gassing a planet to have easy access to an important resource. When I originally posted this thread, my interest was less in the Na'vi and the wildlife of Pandora than it was in some of the tech seen in the film. IMO, something like the Avatar project would be a useful way to infiltrate an alien species, and I can also see variations on some of the Marine equipment, as well, like the power armor suits, but with a TIE ball for a cockpit.

Granted, something like Pandora could still exist, but only if it were completely cut off from the rest of the galaxy, such as having the planet be located in the middle of a rift of disturbed space where hyperspace travel is completely blocked, so travel to and from the planet would only be possible via massive ships traveling at sublight with the passengers in stasis or hibernation sleep. Even then, the benefit involved would need to be extreme to merit the cost.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Fallon Kell]

And if the Empire wanted to subjugate the massive people with fiber carbon skeletons for forced labor, like they did the Wookiees, nerve gas would be a poor choice...
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Or that excessively long "Noooooooooo" was the Whining Side of the Force leaving him. - Dustflier

Complete Starship Construction System

[garhkal]

Especially since how do we know their body's would react to nerve agents the same as humans?
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Fallon Kell]

[CRMcNeill]

[ZzaphodD]

[CRMcNeill]

[The Brain]

[Fallon Kell]